"He told The Telegraph: 'I didn’t audition for Fargo. It was a straight offer. They didn’t even ask to hear the accent.'

"Freeman said: 'It could have all gone very, very bad. Yeah, I was surprised that they didn’t want to hear that. ’Cause I could have had a cloth ear.

"'Fortunately I’m not bad with accents, although I’ve never done that [Minnesotan] one before…He might have had to be English. Lester Nichols.'”

Per EW, "Steven Soderbergh, who’s been as prolific as ever since announcing his plans to quit directing movies, is bringing his 2009 indie, The Girlfriend Experience, to Starz as a 13-episode series. The half-hour show 'explores the relationships of the most exclusive courtesans who provide their clients with far more than just sex,' according to a press release. 'These purveyors—or GFEs (Girlfriend Experience)—share intimacies more common to romantic partners or husbands and wives, becoming quasi-lovers and confidants who are richly paid for their time.'”

Gordon Ramsay is "pulling the plug" on Kitchen Nightmares as soon as this current production schedule is completed. He's a bit late to the party on this one.

TBS is celebrating Seinfeld‘s 25th anniversary with a week of the 25 best episodes, four each weeknight, beginning June 30 at 6/5c.

This news came out late last week, but it's worth noting now as a book to add to your 2015 reading list. Per The New York Times, "producer, director and screenwriter Judd Apatow’s expansive ideas about comedy and how it works are evident in his films and television series, which include The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Freaks and Geeks and Girls. But Mr. Apatow has always liked talking about comedy with others who practice it, and now Random House has signed him to produce Sick in the Head, a compilation of interviews he has conducted with many of his comedy heroes and colleagues over the last three decades. The book is due in 2015. Proceeds will go to 826LA, a nonprofit organization that teaches creative writing to students between 6 and 18.

"Among Mr. Apatow’s interviewees are Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Lena Dunham, Louis C.K., Amy Schumer, Roseanne Barr, Steve Allen, Jay Leno and Spike Jonze. A spokeswoman for Random House said there would probably be 25 in all, the earliest dating to 1983, when Mr. Apatow, then 16, had a high school radio show. They will be presented in lightly edited Q. and A. form – Mr. Apatow recorded all his interviews over the years – with brief introductions."

EW talked with Norman Reedus of The Walking Dead about season 5. "The Walking Dead is well into filming on season 5 of the apocalyptic zombie drama, so we figured it was time to check in and see how things were going down on the Georgia set. We dialed up our main man Norman Reedus to get a feel for the vibe down there, and Reedus is definitely pumped about what has transpired so far. 'These scripts are the best scripts so far, and I’m really just excited to be back at it,' says the man who plays Daryl Dixon. 'There are a lot of characters right now, so there are a lot of really different personalities on set. And it’s super interesting, everyone’s really bringing it. It’s going great. It’s so dynamic because it’s so fast-paced and so complicated. It’s great to be back.'

"We asked Reedus about the reemergence of kick-ass-and-take-names Rick Grimes (after a prolonged visit from Super Duper Mopey Rick Grimes) and Reedus says that new attitude extends well beyond the former sheriff’s deputy. 'Everybody on the whole team is so badass right now,' says Reedus. 'It’s interesting, because a lot of personalities are clashing, or characters’ personalities are clashing. But yeah, we definitely have Rick back.'”

Per Deadline, "PJ Byrne (The Wolf of Wall Street) has joined the burgeoning cast of HBO’s untitled rock n’ roll pilot from director Martin Scorsese. Talk about a cool project — it’s being exec produced by Scorsese, Mick Jagger, Terrence Winter and Emma Koskoff. The drama is set in New York’s 1970s music scene when punk and disco were entering into the music scene of sex, drugs and rock n roll. The story is told through the eyes of record exec Richie Finestra, portrayed by Bobby Cannavale (Chef, Boardwalk Empire), who is trying to resurrect his label and find the next new sound. Byrne will play Scott Levitt, Finestra’s partner. This puts PJ Byrne back in business with Scorsese who directed him in Academy Award-nominated The Wolf of Wall Street.

"The pilot is eyeing a production start in early summer. The cast also includes Olivia Wilde, Juno Temple and Ray Romano (who was cast last month)."

Per Real Screen, "National Geographic Channel is to delve into the divisive American subcultures of white supremacists and homophobic churchgoers in the six-part series American Fringe (pictured).

"Each episode will focus on a different U.S. community that is significant for unorthodox beliefs, such as a rural 'Nazi town' in North Dakota and the notorious Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas. The series also promises to provide rare footage of these groups and candid first-person interviews from community members, as well as their opponents. The series will premiere Stateside on July 9 at 10 p.m. EST/PST."

An interview with Orange Is The New Black's Yael Stone. I had to do a double take as she looks like a different person in the above photo, yeah? Regarding her mini-escape, "[l]et it be known I really jumped out that window. I want you to know that. I got a stunt-woman T-shirt for doing it, and it was probably the proudest moment of my entire life. There were times I forgot it was me and I was like [in Lorna’s accent], “Jesus, just get out of there. This is crazy. What are you doing?”